How to add backup email to a new imap account?
I switched hosting and thus imap email servers. I have all my email backed up. I created a new account with the same folder structure as the old one. How do I copy the backed up email into the new account? I tried copying the the email text files (no extension) and re-starting TB, but it didn't work. Are the emails tied to .msf index files? If I copy over the .msf file that folder doesn't display after restart. I also tried ImportExportTools which does import the entire file but only one email will display.
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I played with this recently myself, and I found that pasting folders into IMAP account message store folders using your file manager doesn't work. It would seem that at wake-up, Thunderbird compares its store with the server, and brings the local store into line with the remote store.
If OTOH you paste messages into a folder within Thunderbird (as opposed to in your file manager), it treats them as new arrivals and synchronizes them to the server.
The only reliable way I have found to do this in the file manager is to paste those old folders into Local Folders. Because these are local and independent of any server, there is no synchronisation and they are accepted at face value as valid stored messages.
And even when pasting into Local Folders via your file manager, it helps if you first create a new subfolder in Thunderbird under Local Folders. This allows Thunderbird to create that folder and set up the necessary references to it, so it can see the messages you will be adding into it via your file manager.
When you have your messages in Local Folders, you can, if you wish, start to move or copy them into IMAP account folders. But bear in mind that this implies copying up to the server, and you have finite bandwidth and a finite share of the server's capacity. So do it in many small batches.
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backed up. as any restore requires you to essentially reverse the backup procedure. IT would be a good idea if you told us how you did that.
Sorry for the late reply. I copied my entire local profile directory which includes a pop account as well as the old imap account. Recreated the imap account for the new server and copied the the (no extension) message files into the appropriate folder. As far as I know, those message files aren't tied to the old folder index files (.msf) TB creates with an imap account, but the messages don't display. ImportExportTools works in a broken way with only one message from the file displaying.
I would think recreating the folders with the exact same name on the new imap server and then copying over just the message files with corresponding names should work.
Thanks
Chosen Solution
I played with this recently myself, and I found that pasting folders into IMAP account message store folders using your file manager doesn't work. It would seem that at wake-up, Thunderbird compares its store with the server, and brings the local store into line with the remote store.
If OTOH you paste messages into a folder within Thunderbird (as opposed to in your file manager), it treats them as new arrivals and synchronizes them to the server.
The only reliable way I have found to do this in the file manager is to paste those old folders into Local Folders. Because these are local and independent of any server, there is no synchronisation and they are accepted at face value as valid stored messages.
And even when pasting into Local Folders via your file manager, it helps if you first create a new subfolder in Thunderbird under Local Folders. This allows Thunderbird to create that folder and set up the necessary references to it, so it can see the messages you will be adding into it via your file manager.
When you have your messages in Local Folders, you can, if you wish, start to move or copy them into IMAP account folders. But bear in mind that this implies copying up to the server, and you have finite bandwidth and a finite share of the server's capacity. So do it in many small batches.
And to answer one of your specific questions, msf files are not important. They are an index to the messages and may be useful in that they also store customised column arrangements, and read/unread status of your messages. But the precious message text is all in the extension-less mbox files, such as Inbox, Sent, Trash and so on.
If msf files are absent, they are recreated automatically. You don't need to preserve them.
Thanks Zenos. Given TB's behavior, this makes sense. It's late here my time so I'll give the Local Folders route a try tomorrow... And there aren't many messages to move so bandwidth, etc isn't an issue.
Awesome Zenos! Works perfectly. Never would have figured using Local folders was the way to go. Thanks again!